Are there any tips and tricks on collapsing the crossbeams so that it doesn't take a lot of work to re-rig the tramp lacing after you expand it again?

I was thinking maybe using one of those black rope stops that you use on the trap lines. Put in under the first grommet in the tramp to keep the tension when you untie up front.

The rear rope pieces aren't too hard to get taught again. just a couple of half hitches.

I recently pulled the hulls off and re-riveted the bearing straps down because I'll be hauling the boat for 1hr plus up to Lake Texoma fairly regularly so I want to collapse it down when I drive that far. Every outboard strap was off just sitting in the hole behind the beam and most of the inboard straps were missing 2 or more rivets. Boat is much stiffer now but I had to use some small pieces of pvc pipe as spacers on the taper pins to get them to snug down against the beam. I also got a champfer bit and turned the tapered holes into flat bottom holes so the rivets I was using wouldn't drag. Hobie says to use tapered rivets but they're hard to come by and buying the from Hobie iare $1 each and you need 32. 1/8 x 5/16 aluminum rivets are much cheaper and easier to find.

Second. Any tips or tricks on keeping the mud out of the centerboard pockets while the boat is on the beach? Our lake has a lot of clay mud mixed with tiny rocks and sand. It's happened a couple times now where one of the centerboard pockets gets jammed up with mud and won't come down at all. To clean it I had to float the boat out a bit and use a screwdriver to dig the mud out while pulling the centerboard up and down.

Third question. Are there any tips for getting the water out of the wing pockets? I wish they had drains like the crossbeams have.

I also have one of my wings that is VERY difficult to get in and out of the wing pockets. The other one comes in and out very easily on both sides so I know its a problem with the wing and not the socket. Any tricks/tips to getting the sticky one to fit better?

shop vacumn for water in wing holes Only do this before winter storage I put foam pipe wrap in the holes and silicone a jar lid over the top this has worked for 20 yearsLeave your boat large at all times even when trailering saves time and a lot of problemsFormer hobie admiral gary

I have trailer my 21SE wide since 1990 and only had a problem twice, once at a toll booth and the other time at a tight bridge. At the booth booth, I knocked the coin basket off and at the bridge, I drove over the orange cones. nerve racking....

Drive with the boat wide and tight (with the tramp tight) and not during rush hour. Plan your driving to avoid traffic if possible. Watch out for mailboxes and road signs. And keep your passenger tire on the white lane marker.

For the problem with small pebbles in the dagger board pocket, keep a long spatula around to reach up into the pocket to loosen up those annoying pebbles and clear them out. This won't solve the problem but will give you away to deal with it.Using cat traxs is helpful too.

I think a yearly inspection of the bearing straps is probably pretty important. When I took mine apart all 4 outboard bearing straps had all their rivets gone and were just lying in the tube. The inboard straps all had at least 2 broken rivets. Having all the bearing straps attached is important to not have the boat sloppy in waves.

Bill 404 wrote:

Using cat traxs is helpful too.

I have a set but haven't used them yet. The cradles need new padding. I got the contact cement and some "camp pad" from Wall Mart to do it with.

What is the best positioning of the cat traxs on a 21 SE? If I use bungie with them where do I attach the bungie to the boat and how long should it be?

I believe the SC's came with pvc pipe rope ladder that you can lay down on the beach under each hull to make beachinig the beast easier. I believe there are pictures on the forum somewhere. Basically they consist of 1" or 1 1/2" pvc pipes 12"-18" wide and connected with rope to make a ladder. They would compact easily and go into the hull.

I have not made them yet, but is on the long list of things to do.....

The centreboards in my 18 get stuck sometimes : I have drilled a small hole in the lowest part (and on the other side opposite of the axle on which it turns) and knotted a small but very tough ( spectra) piece of wire. I use this wire to pull a reluctant centreboard down when on the water. good luck